Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique for performing data transmission and reception between user devices by using a server.
Description of the Related Art
In a system that performs data transmission and reception between user devices by using a server, for example, a transmission requesting user issues a transmission request from a user device to the server, and the server receives a response indicating transmission permission from a user device designated by the transmission requesting user and then transmits data to the receiver.
If the server does not limit data transmission when data transmission and reception is performed between user devices in such a system, there is a possibility that a malicious user may transmit data that causes harm to an unspecified large number of user devices. Accordingly, it is desirable to configure the server so as to be capable of limiting data transmission and reception between user devices other than pre-set user devices. In order to set a user device with which data transmission and reception can be performed, the transmission requesting user designates a receiver and issues a transmission permission request to the server, and the server receives a response indicating whether or not to allow the transmission permission from the receiver and then stores therein a transmission permission/refusal status.
In relation to the system that performs data transmission and reception between user devices by using a server, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-150525 implements a function of issuing an authorization request issued to an authorizer before transmission of a file or email, and if the authorization request is allowed, automatically transmitting the file or email to a receiver.
The transmission permission/refusal status is set in association with the device ID or the like assigned to each user device on the server, but it is conceivable that transmission permission requests are issued by designating email addresses or user IDs that are likely to be known among users.
On the other hand, in the case where the receiving side user uses a plurality of user devices and the device IDs of the user devices are registered in the server, a transmission permission request may be issued to all user devices that are associated with the user ID or an email address serving as the user ID. In this case, the user who received the transmission permission request with the plurality of user devices completes the setting by transmitting, to the server, a response to the transmission permission request by using any one of the user devices registered in the server. However, a user device(s) other than the user device used to transmit the response is in a state in which transmission of a response to the transmission permission request is not completed, and thus the user may be confused whether a response has been made to the transmission permission request when checking with the user device(s) other than the user device used to transmit the response.
According to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-150525 described above, by automatically transmitting the authorized file or email to the designated receiver, the burden of requesting authorization performed by the transmission requesting user and the time required from the authorization to the arrival of the file or email to the receiver are reduced. However, in the case where an authorization request is transmitted to a plurality of user devices used by the authorizer, it is necessary to reduce the burden on the authorizer.